Two Make a Difference
by Rahela Goldengaze
Summary: It was supposed to be a happy occasion, with a wedding and reunions and pure fun. Some drama would ensue of course, but as the guests soon will realize is that nothing about this wedding is a celebration. It is a fight for survival.


I decided to write this story after seeing Harper's Island. Though it is a great show, I would have liked to see more people breathing at the end of episode 13, and also had hoped some more people hooking up (cough_Sully_cough_Danny_cough). And that was how I came up with this little piece. Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harper's Island, but Sophie and Keira are mine!

**SS**

**Chapter 1**

**An Invitation and What it lead To**

**l**

_Seven years ago six people were murdered by John Wakefield. They were the first murders in the history of the island – they will not be the last. _

They were late. So bloody, _bloody_ late.

Trish was going to kill her. No, scratch that. Trish was going to maim her and _then_ kill her. While little miss sunshine in the front seat was going to be just fine.

Keira Martin glared viciously at the back of Sophie Donovan's head, blaming her solely for their predicament. Her friend had wisely taken the front seat, probably finding the possibility of being strangled a tad bit too big to dare sit besides her.

"Oh, stop giving me the death glare," Sophie exclaimed, turning her head to glare back at her friend. "It's not like I forced you to drink all those mojitos".

"You could've stopped me after ten," she accused, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And you could have stopped me after twenty," Sophie shot back. "Now, we both forgot to pack, but we're gonna be there just in time. I doubt Trish is going to leave without us".

"Hopefully she won't. Or else I'm gonna kill you".

Sophie snorted, rising her chin in arrogance.

"Hon, you couldn't manage a day without me. You would be _helpless_".

Keira rolled her eyes at her friend, but the corners of her lips tugged upwards. Something Sophie did not miss. She grinned triumphantly.

"Just relax. We're there in ten minutes".

Ten minutes. She glanced down at her cell, 13:55 glaring up at her. It would be five past two before they reached the harbor. Like, five minutes _after_ the yacht departs. Oh, Trish was never going to forgive her for this. But instead of rushing the poor cab driver more than she had already done for the past six minutes, she forced herself to lean back in the seat and watch the buildings fly past them.

She found it terribly ironic that she was the one hurrying the cab driver. Actually, she found it ironic that she was even here in Seattle. After all, she had sworn never to step foot inside Washington state after what happened seven years ago. But as it was, her destination had been decided. She was going back to Harper's Island, whether she liked it or not. Leaning farther into the seat, she closed her eyes, beginning to regret the entire situation. And to think it all had started with a letter.

_The envelope had been innocent enough. Creamy white, tucked among the bills and catalogues Sophie ordered every once in a while, it did not scream life-turning or anything remotely worrying. It had both her and Sophie's name on it, addressed from Seattle. This was not much of a surprise either. They usually didn't get mail from Seattle other than from Beth and Trish – and occasionally Sophie's older brother, though he made time to call at least two times a day to check up on his baby sister._

_Sophie was understandably becoming tired of his constant check-ups and impulsive visits to make sure that she was not staggering in front of a truck because she had too much vodka or tequila (now a day it was mojitos, though big brother the Cop did not need to know that), but Keira envied their relationship. She didn't have family any longer, but wholeheartedly wanted a sibling of her own. Of course, Sophie was a great substitute, but she wanted something more than that. But back to the point – the envelope was not a give-away to the changing events it would cause. _

_Since Sophie was enjoying a long, hot bath with Metallica on full volume, she had casually opened it herself. The moment she realized what was inside, she regretted that she had. Come to think of it, she should have thrown it in the garbage rather than announcing to Sophie about the invitation. _

_In elegant letters it said:_

**MR. AND MRS. THOMAS WELLINGTON**  
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO SHARE IN  
THE JOYOUS MARRIAGE OF

_**Patricia E. Wellington**_  
AND  
_**Henry W. Dunn**_

THE CANDLEWICK INN  
**HARPER'S ISLAND**, WASHINGTON

CHARTERED YACHT LEAVES **SEATTLE HARBOR** AT 2:00 P.M.

_The initial reaction was happiness, as the golden couple finally was taking the step towards the altar. It was about time in her opinion. But as her eyes skimmed the invitation again, she froze. _

_THE CANDLEWICK INN,_

_**HARPER'S ISLAND**__, WASHINGTON_

_The very name left a foul taste in her mouth, and for full five minutes she was speechless. Harper's Island? They were getting _married_ on __**Harper's Island**__? The very same island where she went through _hell_ and swore never to return? Why the HELL would they do that?_

_So caught up in her own trail of thoughts, she did not notice her roommate before the invitation was snatched from her hold by damp fingers. _

"_What's this?" she chimed curiously, throwing herself down on the couch besides her, not caring that she was soaking the fabric. _

"_An invitation," Keira heard herself answer, almost mechanically. _

_If Sophie noticed her tone, she did not show it as she read the words. Halfway through she was off the couch cheering, exclaiming something along the lines of "finally!", and "I KNEW IT!" and "My baby-Trish is getting married!" When she eventually got down from her cloud, she made notice of Keira's gloomy silence. _

"_What is it? Aren't you happy?"_

"_Read it again," she responded tiredly, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. Sophie did as instructed, and after her eyes landed on the bold letters spelling the location of the wedding, realization dawned. _

"_Oh," was the only thing she could say. _

Glancing down at the clock, it was only 15:58. Maybe they still had time to reach the boat, though a part of her hoped not. Then there was still a chance to turn back – _if_ her annoyingly persuasive roommate Sophie allowed that…which was less than likely considering that _she_ was the one spending three weeks trying to convince her to go back to the wretched island for the wedding.

Why on earth Trish and Henry wanted to have their wedding there was beyond Keira, but as it was – she was stuck. She was going there, and not ten wild horses would have Sophie budge on that decision. Once she had been stupid enough to agree _(which was when she was half-way through a bottle of Russian vodka)_, there was no way out. Just to ensure her taking the flight to Seattle, the little serpent had announced to Trish that both were coming. And everyone knew that once Trish was involved, you would not stand a chance. She had learned the hard way – _twice_, in fact. And both times she had lost, which brought her to this very moment.

God, she hated persuasive brunettes.

"It seems that we are just in time!"

Her silent cursing of brunettes (which in fact she was too), was interrupted by Sophie's exclaim. Turning her head, she saw the harbor draw closer, and among the many boats was a large yacht decorated with crepe paper and balloons that was not easy to miss. It was not in motion.

Blessing her luck for not having to experience Trish's wrath, and cursing herself for having allowed to be pulled this far. And now it wasn't just the bloody fact that she was going back to Harper's _fucking_ Island – she now had no other choice but to face the people she had hoped to avoid for the rest of her existence.

Wincing slightly as the cab drew nearer, she was ambushed by memories she had wanted to forget. And oddly enough it had nothing to do with Harper's Island. It was about golden locks and beautiful, blue eyes.

_It had been a year since she had left the island with nothing but a backpack and the money from a piggy bank. Therefore it was hard for her to grasp the reality that she had been licking sun in the hot summer air by Wellington's pool, sipping juice and wearing designer bikini from Oscar de la Renta for over a week now. _

_She probably had Trish to thank for that. After the school year was over and the dorms were closed, she would have been crashing from place to place till September if Trish hadn't made a surprise visit and offered her a spare bedroom in the massive Wellington house (more like mansion). Mrs. Wellington was more than happy to let her stay, claiming it was so empty after Shea and Richard had moved out. But she couldn't help but feel like an intruder, both with Trish' family and with her friends. _

_That was until that evening when Trish and her newly arrived friend Lucy (whom she disliked greatly) decided to play makeover before the beach party that evening. She had reluctantly allowed the two to curl her hair and paint her face, but the result was surprisingly satisfying even for herself. They had pulled her into a pretty blue dress that felt more like cobweb than layers of chiffon, which was quite the new experience for the fisherman's daughter. At least she had been able to avoid the killer heels the two had presented to her, arguing that they would be useless in sand. _

_But she had still felt quite out of place as they arrived the beach, where a bonfire already was blazing against the summer night and people were enjoying beer and heated make-out sessions. Upon arriving, the three girls were quickly surrounded by a group of leering boys they would have liked to be without. It did not take long, however, before a familiar face came to the rescue. Henry Dunn was the last guy Keira would have expected to see out of Tacoma. He had grown since the last time she saw him, though he was not enough to intimidate the group of horny males. However, the fraternity that accompanied him did. _

_It was an army of four guys – the guys Trish had been talking about since she had moved to the Wellington house. One was a lean Afro-American with short braided hair and a pretty cute smile, the other a skinny brunette with glasses who looked slightly nervous. The third was a bigger guy with curly hair and looked as though he was attempting to get a beard, but he looked pretty harmless. However, it was the fourth that caught her eye. He was familiar to her, though they had never been introduced. One of Henry's friends from Tacoma – Sully. She had seen him on Harmon Beach, three years ago, when he had gone with Henry to the island. _

_His lean arm was slung around Henry's shoulder, holding a beer in his other hand while checking the new addition out. He was by far the most handsome of them, with spiky golden hair and beautiful, blue eyes. There was a confident smirk on his lips as his gaze met hers, and she felt as though she would melt if he looked at her too long. But it was short-lived as his gaze trained of Trish. Keira felt miffed by his sudden change of attention, which was odd for the girl who didn't want a guy in a five foot radius of herself if she did not give them permission. She was quite surprised herself at her own reaction, but chose to ignore it. Henry detached himself from his companion, allowing her to bring him into a hug._

_He returned it, though not as heartfelt as she remembered that they had been. She chose not to address it. Perhaps it was because of his brother. J.D. His mother's death a couple of years back had changed the boy. _

"_Hi, Keira. How's things been?" he asked as he let go of her. _

"_Hey, Henry. I'm fine, though I have officially become Trish's Barbie doll"._

"_Yeah, I can see that. You look great"._

"_I don't believe you, but thanks anyway"._

"_Damn, I need to lie better"._

"_Hey!" she playfully smacked his arm, pretending insult. The mirth disappeared as she noticed the whole fraternity watching her curiously, and instantly she felt out of place again. Henry, luckily, stepped in. _

"_Well, you all know my lovely girlfriend. Now, this lovely girl is Keira Martin; mine and Abby's friend from Harper's Island". She shot him a surprised look. Abby? They knew Abby? Henry nodded discreetly, catching onto her questioning look. _

"_So please, for the sake of her being new – behave. I don't want her running off cause you scared her away"._

_She let out a snort. "Like they'd scare me off"._

_The frat boys laughed at her declaration, before coming forward to introduce themselves; some more eager than the other. The dark-skinned one, she learned, was Danny – the new addition to Henry's circle of friends after going to college. He was sweet, and probably the most sensitive guy in the frat. Keira could not help but immediately take a liking to him, though she found her attention averted to Sully. He hadn't said much to her, but she had caught him watching whenever her own gaze needed another eyeful of him. _

_It did not take long before Malcolm introduced her to his Sacred Turtle Beer, which to her surprise, he had brewed himself. To top it off it was some pretty good stuff. And as the booze started to kick in, her inhibitions were thrown out of the window. Before she knew it, she was becoming too friendly for her own liking with both Danny and Sully, who had somehow ended up with them. Both were quite amused by her change of demeanor. _

_And for the first time since she had left Harper's Island she felt as though she belonged. _

She could remember that night vividly, and the ones that followed, at clubs and at Trish' house. Most of the summer was spent with them, and even Abby sometimes, though she would quickly head back to LA. The dark-haired girl had begun to pull herself back together, for that summer Keira saw her smile for the first time since the murders. And it was that summer she felt herself being drawn to Sully like moth to the flame.

But their relationship was complicated. It would grow hot and then cold, hot and cold. One moment they were heatedly making out, the next he was openly flirting with one of Trish' friends, and she herself ignored him as some silent punishment, even though she knew they weren't really together. As summer went by and Christmas drew nearer, they barely saw each other, but when they did they somehow always ended up lip-locked against a wall. They wouldn't speak until the next time they met.

To be honest Keira had no idea how to handle the situation. She didn't know whether to call him or visit, or just let him come to her. She wasn't sure if she should pretend disinterest or just go for it. Romance books and Trish' advices really didn't help. And yet somehow by the next summer she was officially dating the blonde frat boy.

It had been by far the best summer she could remember. It was hot, fun and amazing. Until the first package came. At first, she had thought it was a sick joke, but as more of them came, the next more twisted than the last, she got scared. But she didn't tell anyone. She didn't want them to know what had happened to her on Harper's Island, which they definitely would if she involved them. Only Abby, Henry and Trish knew, and all of them had been sworn to silence. But someone else knew, and what frightened her more than the fact that that somebody had been in her house on Harper's Island, was the fact that the person was _stalking_ her. It took its toll on her, and everyone around her.

The last package had sent her reeling over the edge.

_It was pouring outside, but she refused to go back into the house. Instead, she pulled the useless jacket tighter around her and marched defiantly towards her car. She shook slightly as she went, but it was not the chilly wind that affected her. It was pain. _

_Another package had arrived. The picture of her that it contained was forever burnt into her retinas. She was __**never**__ going back to that dorm. And as though that wasn't enough, that bitch Lucy had stepped over the line when she made out with Sully in front of everyone. It had earned the blondie a black eye, but it did nothing to soothe her anger. Or ease the fear just beneath the surface. _

_Too caught up in her own thoughts she had failed to hear him call her name. Not until his hand grabbed her and pushed her back towards his drenched body. She avoided looking at him. _

"_Let go of me, Sully". _

_Her voice sounded tired. She __**was**__ tired; exhausted. And she needed to get away. Away from Seattle, away from Sully. _

"_Keira". His voice was pleading. "That wasn't what it looked like"._

"_Then what was it like?"_

_She didn't know why she asked. Even if she believed whatever he had to say, it didn't matter. Her mind was already set. The moment she saw Lucy's lips on his, the decision was made. She was leaving, and not Sully or anyone else was going to stop her. _

"_Look. She just grabbed me. I didn't realize until…"_

"_Until you saw me?" _

"_No! Keira, please". There the pleading was again. She couldn't resist looking into his eyes. There was something akin to guilt in them. And something else. Something she chose to ignore._

"_You have to believe me". _

_She did. Despite her better judgment, she did believe him. But it did not change her decision. _

"_I'm sorry". She was sorry. Really, __**really**__ sorry. Her heart ached at the look on his face. "But I just can't deal with this any longer"._

"_Deal with what?"_

"_You! Me! All those other girls!"_

"_What other girls?"_

"_Trish. Lucy. Trish' friends. Everyone that you ogle and flirt with"._

"_Keira, they don't matter"._

"_They do to me. And I'm sorry, but I just can't do this any longer"._

_His face was blank, as though he wasn't sure how to react._

"_Goodbye, Sully"._

They had managed to drop by a mall before racing towards the docks. It had been in the nick of time, it seemed, as apparently everyone was aboard. As they headed out of the cab, Keira caught sight of the most unlikely of faces boarding the yacht. She hadn't changed much since the last time she saw her, but she was pale. Quite frankly Keira couldn't blame her. After all, of all of them, Abby Mills was the one who suffered the most after the murders.

_She had attended Sarah Mills' funeral, despite having planned to stay buried under her pillows for the rest of the week. But she had realized that Abby was hurting just as much as she was. She needed someone to rely on too. And they had relied on each other since the cradle. _

_Dressed in a hideous black dress she had dug out from her mother's closet, she had stood by Abby's side as they lowered the casket into the ground. She was deathly pale; the black of her clothing a stark contrast to her skin, and her eyes were red from crying. The usually bright and smiling eyes had become black and lifeless. She looked broken…just like her father. _

_The invincible sheriff Mills looked beyond repair. Broken, only fragments of him left. Killing that bastard Wakefield had done nothing to make amends for the woman they had lost. Sarah Mills with her beautiful smiles and apple cinnamon pies was gone. _

_And the image of her body dangling from the Tree of Woe was forever branded in their minds. _

She shook her head. This was not the time to think of the past. Turning, she caught Sophie watching her cautiously. She chose to ignore it in favor of allowing the driver to hand over the entire weight of their shopping bags into her awaiting arms. When she turned again, Sophie was already far ahead of her, confident that she wasn't going to bail. And purposely avoiding carrying the baggage.

She grumbled under her breath after offering a thank you to the driver, marching across the pavement in an attempt to catch up with the tiny brunette.

It did not take long, but as the yacht drew nearer she was beginning to regret it. She was not ready to face everything just yet.

"How about we just skip the wedding and go straight for the vodka here in Seattle?" It was meant to be a joke, but ended as a plead. Too bad Sophie had forgotten her sympathy on the plane.

"Uh-uh. My task is to get your ass aboard that yacht. Trish' orders. So smile once we get aboard". She sounded confident that she would not have to drag her aboard, but in case took hold of some of the bags. One could never know with a desperate person.

"Since when did you become Hitler?"

"Since you started to get difficult on the plane".

Before she could come with a retort, they heard the sharp sound of a horn. Both heads snapped in the direction of the yacht; which was clearly taking off.

"HEY! Don't leave us!" Sophie exclaimed, racing down towards the dock, Keira not far behind. The shout caught the sailors' attention. On the boat deck, some of the guests watched on as the two hurried across the dock, balancing piles of bags in their hands. The shout also alerted the group of bachelors seated on the main deck, who turned curiously from their reunion with Abby.

"Hey, isn't that Keira?" Booth asked curiously.

Abby left Danny's embrace, trying to get a better view of the two girls hurrying towards them. The one in front was definitely not her. She looked more like a pixie than a woman in the distance, dressed in icy blue silk printed with red and yellow flowers that flared around her knees – with a hat to match, and balancing her tiny feet in killer heels that Keira _never_ would have worn.

However, the brunette behind was most certainly Keira Martin. The fact that she was wearing a dress did not change the reality of that. Behind her, the boys tensed up.

"How long has it been?" Danny asked, unable to take his eyes of the brunette. It had been a long time since he had seen her. She was the last person he had imagined would come to this wedding, after the way she left.

"Four years". It was surprisingly Sully who spoke up. There was a bitter edge to his words that was impossible to ignore, but Danny knew better then to address it. The last time he'd got a door flung in his face. He didn't trust four years to have soothed Sully's temper on the subject of Keira Martin.

But Sully, as everyone else, watched as the women climbed the gangway, unable to take his eyes off her. It was hard to believe that she was actually here and even harder to see how much she had changed over the last four years.

Her hair had been lighter back then, like dark honey. Now it was a dark hue of chocolate, tumbling down her back in curls. And damn she was looking hot. Back in college she had been the cute little tomboy buried to her ears in books, but now she was a bombshell in dress and heels. And in spite of everything, he couldn't get his eyes off her. She was beautiful.

A woman with peachy skin and pretty green eyes…and nice legs. The dress she wore was light blue with stripes of white, a sash of green silk tied beneath her breasts in a way that only made looking away even harder. Was it just him or had they grown since the last time he saw them?

"Is that really Keira?" Malcolm asked, staring openly at her chest to Sully's great annoyance.

"Yup," Danny confirmed, also staring, but much more discreetly.

And the many stares did not go past Keira, who wished nothing more, but to turn and march back to the cab. But many stares were reserved for her friend rather than herself.

Sophie Donovan was not your typical socialite. Though she had a face to die for, she was unnaturally short and with extremely slender limbs, which was not exactly the Hollywood image of the perfect female body. But still she had enough curves to have guys flocking like ants to the honey, and if that didn't work, her charm surely did. She was simply that kind of person that people were unable to dislike, and she won everyone over, no matter how hard they were trying to resist. She had seen it working – several times.

Now was no different. About every guy on the boat was watching on appreciatively, some more obvious than others. But four pair of eyes had completely ignored the pixie in favor of staring at Keira disbelievingly. She gave them an uncertain smile, now seriously considering abandoning the ship; departing or not.

"I knew you would show up!"

Turning, she was greeted by the pleased grin of Trish Wellington. She looked stunning in her elegant blue dress and with her mother's gleaming pearls around her neck, but it was her glowing face that caught most of the attention. Momentarily she forgot the penetrating stares of her friends and a wide smile graced her lips as she went to embrace the bride-to-be.

"Trish," she greeted, enveloping the brunette in a warm hug. It was gladly returned.

"Hey, Keira. How was the trip?"

"Stressful. Not fun with a hangover. But I'm here".

"Good. Or else I'd kill you".

"Figured that much".

"You should get married more often, Trish. You look amazing". Turning, the bride faced her partner-in-crime.

"Hey, Sophie!"

"Trust Sophie to grab the spotlight," Keira grumbled playfully, trying to desperately avoid looking towards the guys just yards away. Their looks were making her nervous. Sophie snorted.

"I'm not grabbing anything. I'm just making sure you talk about something interesting".

"Like what?"

Sophie's slender fingers grasped Trish' arm, pushing her closer to her. "The bride of course!"

"So you decided to show up after all".

She knew who it was without turning. _Abby_.

"Abby!" She stretched her arms out and hugged her dark-haired friend tightly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine". She offered a brave smile, though Keira knew better. She was scared, just like herself.

"It'll get better once we're there," she comforted, not sure if she was trying to convince Abby or herself. "But it was about time we got our asses back there, don't you think?"

"I'm not sure yet".

"Me neither, but right now we don't have much of another choice".

A devious glint appeared in her dark eyes. "No," she agreed, "not with Commander Donovan watching over us".

"Damn straight you are, Abby!" Sophie appeared out of nowhere, bringing her slender arms around Abby's neck. She quickly let go to size her up. A small crease appeared on her forehead.

"You're a bit pale for my liking. But you're welcome to get rosy cheeks later tonight with Russian vodka". Trust Sophie to know when to get them drunk.

"Russian, huh? Sounds like strong stuff". She sounded almost hopeful.

"You have no idea," Keira sighed, remembering all too clearly what that liquor had gotten her into.

"Then you can count me in".

"Good. I brought an extra bottle just for you".

"Your brother would kill you if he knew". Sophie frowned at the reminder of her older and very much overprotective brother.

"Well, my brother isn't here is he?" she retorted with nonchalance she sure as hell wouldn't have when faced with Luke Donovan's wrath. But as she said; he wasn't there. "And besides, what he doesn't know can't hurt him".

"Isn't your brother coming?" Abby sounded disappointed. Though she had only known him for a couple of years, she enjoyed his company…just not in a romantic kind of way. More like a brother-she-never-had kind of way. And he was nice enough to drive her home whenever she got drunk. He was ever the good cop.

"He's coming for the wedding rehearsal, as far as I know". If Sophie had gotten her way he wouldn't even come. She had been looking forward to partying, guys and booze – which she could forget once he arrived.

Her soft brown eyes skimmed the crowds as Keira and Abby continued their chat. It did not take long before they landed on the group of guys seated just some yards away. And they were openly staring at what she presumed to be her friend.

She instantly recognized the blonde from Keira's descriptions – Sully. The ex and the guy Keira Martin couldn't get out of her head. She could see why, as she roamed her eyes appreciatively over him. His expression was grim, though. He didn't notice her watching; as she was quite more subtle in her study then they were with Keira, but his dark companion did.

And damn he wasn't looking too bad either. She offered him one of her charming smiles once she realized he was staring at her, which he returned, though a bit uncertain. She didn't blame him. If she was correct, he was Danny Brooks. And since he didn't know where he was standing with Keira, he sure as hell didn't know where he was standing with her companion.

But if she had her way, he would know pretty soon. As in _now_.

With purpose in her steps she grabbed Keira's wrist, breaking off her conversation with Abby. It probably was rude, but there were some things that were needed to be done.

"Sorry Abby, but I need Keira for something really important".

"Like what?"

"Like introducing me to her guy-friends just over there".

Keira went rigid in her grasp, and she looked horrified. But once Sophie had made up her mind, there was no way around it. She pleadingly turned to Abby, but it appeared that she agreed with Sophie. _Traitor_.

They were surprised that it was her companion who took the initiative to go to them, with an unwilling Keira behind. At least she wasn't dragged across the deck.

"Hello," the small brunette greeted them with a brilliant smile. "I thought it was about time we got ourselves over here".

**SS**

So what do you think? Good? Bad? Please let me know!


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